The P90 Airsoft Personal Defense Weapon

In 1993, Fabrique Nationale de Herstal began producing their 'Project' the P90, where the P stands for project and the 90 refers to the decade of production. The name 'project' implies something unusual, perhaps even strange, which is exactly what the P90 is. Most guns are long, thin, have a rounded barrel, trigger that hangs down below, vertical handle and large stock; the P90is pretty much the opposite of all these things.

However, it's unfair to put this gun down based on a comparison with regular assault rifles, machine guns, pistols and the like, as its classed as a PDW, or personal defence weapon. Compact and powerful is the design brief, making this gun the best of its kind for drivers, support personal, large weapon operators, and anti-terror squads. Firing a newly designed 5.7x28mm cartridge, which fires faster, further and straighter, the P90 is a deadly weapon.

The gun has several variations; one for each occasion. The P90 TR is the standard weapon with a triple rail on the top, which allows accessories to be added. Not the sort that make it look more stylish, but those that have laser pointers, flash lights and improved sights, making it fire better.

The P90 USG has an improved non-magnified reticule sight, the P90 LV has a visible laser pointer on board and the P90 IR has an infrared sight. Finally there is the PS90. This is simply a slightly toned down version of the P90 base model, made specifically for civilians.

It's specification displays just how small this gun is. The whole gun is just 50cm long and 5.5cm wide at the widest point, and weighs just 6.6lb when fully loaded. Even stranger is the fact that its 21cm tall almost all the way down the gun.

This odd appearance has meant that it's been featured in loads of films and video games, from Golden Eye to Call of Duty 4, and has inspired many sci-fi guns, like those used in StarTrek.

For once, Tokyo Marui's plastic on its P90 replica doesn't let it down one bit, as the real gun is made from dull metal which looks similar to how TM have styled their shell. It fires at 280 feet per second and weighs just 2.2kg, but it only holds about 70 BBs and has a small battery, which doesn't make it great for endurance combat. However, its small size, light weight and ease of use make it a winner in close quarters combat, and therefore a must in the arsenal of any airsoft player.